Easy Tomato Basil Cream Pasta

Eric, Steve, Dan, Shayne, and Steve worked on the deck this weekend and they got so much accomplished!

It almost looks like a deck now. :)

The weather was what the boys called, ‘Deck Building Weather’. Sunny and just warm enough to be comfortable.

The workstation Eric set up…heh

View from other end:

This is the view from our back door:

Our old deck didn’t extend this far, but we thought it would be really nice to walk straight out onto the deck so we extended the deck about 7 feet or so. I’m very happy about this extension because it will be much easier for me to carry my camera and food to the deck!

If you recall, it used to look like this…

On Sunday night, I treated Eric to a fancy smancy dinner as a thank you for all his hard work- Vegan Yum Yum’sTomato Basil Cream Pasta dish that I have been meaning to try for a while now. This dish tastes so much like a traditional cream pasta, you could fool even the toughest critic!

Easy Tomato Basil Cream Pasta

Vegan, refined sugar-free, soy-free

By Angela Liddon

This is one of the best creamy pasta sauces I have ever tasted, vegan or otherwise. It is right up there with 15 minute Creamy Avocado Pasta! This was also one of those moments when Eric and I looked at each other and said, ‘Can you believe this is vegan?’ I find that cashew cream sauces can be a bit bland, but this one was fantastic (probably due to the basil, tomato, and garlic trio adding so much flavour). Lightly adapted from Vegan Yum Yum.

Yield2-3 servings

Prep time10 Minutes

Cook time15 Minutes

Total time25 Minutes

Ingredients:

2 servings uncooked spaghetti (I used Kamut)

1 large ripe tomato or two smaller tomatoes

1/2 cup raw cashews

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp olive oil

2-4 garlic cloves, minced (I used 3)

1 tsp salt, or to taste

3-4 tbsp water or wine, (optional)

1-2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 cup packed fresh basil, finely chopped

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Chop tomato and add it to the blender (including skin and seeds). Now add the cashews, water, and tomato paste. Blend until smooth.

Add your pasta to boiling water and cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, add olive oil to a large skillet and heat to low. Add the minced garlic and sauté for a few minutes being careful not to burn it.

Pour the sauce from the blender into the skillet, stir, and bring to a simmer. Add the salt and let it cook for 4-5 minutes, watching closely. You may add water or wine to thin out the sauce to you desired consistency, but this is not necessary.

Remove sauce from heat and stir in the chopped basil and pepper. Once the pasta is done cooking, rinse and drain it. Add the drained pasta back in the pot and now gradually add pasta sauce until your desired amount is achieved. Stir and serve immediately. Makes 2 servings, likely with sauce leftover.

Nutrition Information

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I love making pasta sauces because with just a few ingredients you can create something that tastes so gourmet and special.

This was also one of those moments when Eric and I looked at each other and said, ‘Can you believe this is vegan?’ I find that cashew cream sauces can be a bit bland, but this one was fantastic (probably due to the basil, tomato, and garlic trio adding so much flavaaaa).

Time to get to work and then I’m off to another Moksha hot yoga class at lunchtime. Ange took me to my first hot yoga class on the weekend and I loved it. Many of you have been telling me for a long time now that a class is so different from a DVD and I must say you are 100% right! I will give a recap of my experience on the blog shortly.

What an amazing recipe Angela!
Eating vegan is a treat when i make your recipes
Enjoy your yoga, i’m hoping to try hot yoga out as soon as i can drag myself to my gyms Guelph location where its offered
Way to go on the deck :)

ahh! I was browing through Vegan Yum Yum’s cookbook the other day and almost made this too! It looks soooooo good. I agree, yoga on a DVD is so different from a studio. I like both but prefer going to a studio for a much more relaxing and intense yoga session. :) I love the wood deck.. so rustic!

We’re both container gardening right now, and I’m tickled to see my plants are actually growing! The spinach leaves are large enough to eat. Here’s a raw, vegan spinach “slaw” you might enjoy. Nice bright colors and flavors.

Ooh yum, the cream sauce sounds delicious! I’ve never tried making a cashew-based sauce myself but this looks really easy. The deck looks like it’s coming along really really well! Have a lovely time at yoga today. I wish I could be there too instead of at work – sweat lots for me! :)

I’m not vegan but I have friends who are and I never know what to make when they visit. This recipe will be at the top of the list though. It looks wonderful and in a couple months I can make it mostly out of my garden :)

I’ve made this recipe from Vegan Yum Yum a few times and love it too. I add more tomato, tomato paste and basil to mine. I plan on making this the next time I have company and I need to whip up something quick.

oh boy this looks decadent and delicious. eric is a lucky guy! I’m now choosing between making this and your avocado cream sauce pasta dish.. the deck is coming along great, it looks like it will be an awesome spot for summer get togethers!

Hey Angela,
This pasta sounds so delicious……..just wondering if it would be good to reheat for the next day? As your Avocado sauce wasn’t good for reheating!
Thanks again for another awesome dish =0)
P.S. Glad to hear that you’re enjoying the Hot Yoga! Are you going to the James Snow Pky and Main St. Location (Milton)??

The deck is coming along so nicely! It will be so worth all the wait and hard work!! Your pasta looks so great! I’ll have to try this cream sauce. Normally when I cook vegan I make a sauce from veganaise, water and nutritional yeast and I love it! I haven’t tried any of your creamy sauces, because I never have cashews.

Hi Angela,
I saw you had trouble finding organic soil and wanted to follow up because I told you that you could find it at the store… :-( the kind we get is called Coast of Maine. It’s not sold in Canada but their website has a special order program for Canada. http://www.coastofmaine.com/dealers.shtml
Hope this is helpful! I think you are already all set but maybe it will help for next year.
Can’t wait to see your home grown veggies :) And the deck looks great!
Ellen

This recipes sounds sooooo good Ange. I’m def making it next time B and I have a craving for creamy pasta. He’s got high cholesterol, so we def don’t get to have cream sauces very often, but this one will be PERFECT! I think I’ll tell him its vegan after just for fun ;) Thank for this recipe. :)

I just made your creamy barley risotto last night for me and the bf, and we both loved it! I’m thinking about adding a little bit of cooked spinach and fresh basil for my leftovers, but it was delicious as is.

I have to try this!! I love your creamy avocado pasta and I make it about once a week so I’m sure this will get added to the regular rotation. O and sometimes I use cilantro instead of the basil in the creamy avocado pasta and it is delicious!

Great, now I can’t decide whether to test this recipe, or the creamy avocado pasta out on my 4 year old picky-eating kid brother. Both look amazing. You’ve made this so hard for me ;)
Also absolutely can’t wait to see your finished deck. love. after. pics.

The pasta shot right above where you have the recipe written is just PERFECT! Submit thee. :)

The recipe of course looks great, too!

And you are sure coming along on the gardening stuff…wow! My husband has never unloaded the dishwasher or cooked me a meal in 12 years. All that gardening work…Foreign.Concept. Mine plays Barbies with Skylar though like a champ…lol :)

Im having majaaaaa issues with my commenting right now. So many comments are randomly flying into moderation for no reason! I cant figure it out. :(
I do moderate them a few times a day though, so they eventually do get posted.

Speaking of pasta, just wanted to tell you that I LOVE YOU and your 15-minute avocado pasta! It just changed my life. I’m in Cannes for the film festival running around and this is my official go-to meal — so quick, so easy to make (even in this tiny hotel-apt i am staying in), filling and DELICIOUS. Keep em coming, any other ideas for quick, filling but healthy meals are welcome! Bisous from Cannes!

OK, I am here to tell everyone to make this NOW. This is seriously one of the best things I’ve eaten in a long time. I added white beans and broccoli florets to my pasta to add some bulk and it is the most perfect meal. I planned on saving half for lunch tomorrow but I’m not sure that’s going to happen…Thank you Angela!

Holy YUM! It looked amazing and easy and I had everything already in my cabinet (and garden!) except the tomato paste (and garlic french gread I added)! So delicious that my 5 year old slurped it up! Of course with her side salad of romaine and english cucumber with feta crumbles (I know, I am a lucky mom!) Only suggestion to make slightly more kid friendly was about half the pepper and a touch less basil. This is an amazing recipe and my first time creating a vegan “cream” sauce. I cannot wait to serve this to my completely-carnivorous-and-won’t-touch-veggies-in-anything-but-complete-puree-form fiance! Thanks!!

hi, i notice you use a lot of cashews in your cooking. i was wondering if you buy them in a store or online in bulk? if you buy them online, would you mind sharing your source? i’ve looked around and have found them, but they are a little pricey. thanks!

made this recipe yesterday ..it was soo creamy and the flavor so good. it wasnt bland at all. I did use 4 garlic cloves . my husband loved it and wanted more. easy and yum and healthy! thanks for the recipe

I just made this for my boyfriend and I and we loved it! I love recipes that I can whip up using ingredients that are kitchen staples. I added the 3-4 tablespoons of red wine and it gave it great depth. Thanks again!

Made this tonight it was DELICIOUS….even my husband liked it and he wasn’t so excited about me making a Vegan meal. My goal for the month of September is to have no Meat days and have dinner be Vegan. Thanks for all recipes to help me reach my goal.

Just finished having this for dinner. It is absolutely delicious! It makes me think of a healthy tomato-based pesto. The cashews add some protein and a texture of parmesan cheese which makes it very filling. I will definitely be making this again. It was so easy tasty!

I love love love this sauce! Today I used the leftovers as a dip with some rice crackers – AMAZING!!!! I think my next batch will be used as dip for veggies/crackers instead if on pasta since it’s so good!

I made this tonight and the whole family loved it. It gave me the same satisfaction as a sauce that actually uses cream.
Your blog is fabulous! Funny thing is that I am Canadian and used to live in Toronto. However, I recently discovered your blog here in Australia where I have been living for 1.5 years. I can’t wait to try more recipes. Although I am not a vegan, I love healthy cooking and have greatly reduced our dairy and meat intake.

We tried this recipe tonight and found that it is missing a critical dimension. The cashews wash out the spicy bite of garlic and leave it a little bland. I would recommend adding some more spice of your choice to give it more flavor to balance the sweet-ish creamy flavor from the cashews. Also, add more salt rather than less for better flavor.

Delicious! Love the texture and creaminess! I did not have enough basil, maybe that’s why it was missing a kick. I added an onion with the garlic. Next time I might add a little something… Green olives or sun dried tomatoes. This sauce is an awesome base to play with. Will make it again. My meateater hubby likes it so I’m happy!

I used this recipe for a nice Sunday dinner and I have to say that it was very tasty! So simple to make with only a small number of ingredients. I couldn’t believe it was vegan!
This is definitely something I will make again. Thank you!

Hi Angela,
This looks delish! And I’m going to make it as a part of my Valentine’s Day feast tomorrow! I was wondering what you think about adding a touch of spice – some chili, maybe? Not having tasted the dish yet, I wasn’t sure if it would compete, or if you had an idea for the best way to spice it up. Thanks!

I am so interested in eating more vegan meals, but everything always has tree nuts in it! I am severely allergic to all tree nuts. Would sunflower seeds be an acceptable substitute in this recipe? Or any recipe for that matter?

I might be late to the party, but I made this dish for dinner last night. WOW! I loved it. Randomly throughout the night after dinner I would look over to my boyfriend and say, “Man that was some good sauce…” haha! It was awesome!

This is a wonderful sauce! I’ve been looking for a creamy sauce that isn’t too “nutty” tasting or without adding Nutritional Yeast (sometimes I just tire of that flavor). This one definitely hit the spot! I didn’t even have tomato paste, but this came out great…I used veggie broth instead of water to give it some extra flavor.

I was trying to use up the fresh veggies I got in my CSA from the Farmer’s Market this week, so I actually paired this recipe with your Eggplant Parmesan. I made the eggplant cutlets, then put this sauce over them. Delicious!

Thank you so much for this recipe! I am staying away from dairy for some weeks (just want to see how that goes), so this is just genius. I also tried an dessert recipe from your page, a chocolate cake with an almond crust an an coconut-dark chocolate filling. Was great, too!

wow! we tried this tonight, and this is one of very few recipes that has received rave reviews on my first try! Both my husband and my daughter loved this! My dairy-intolerant daughter asked if I was sure there was no cheese in it :). Thank you, this one’s a keeper!

This was surprisingly delicious, creamy, and SUPER EASY TO MAKE! I am new to this vegan lifestyle and your website has really helped make it a smooth transition for a mom of 2 boys & husband that are not vegan. Thank you!

Hi Angela,
Thank you for the wonderful recipe. I was wondering if you had any suggestions for cashew substitutes in recipes like this, though. I’m somehow allergic to all nuts except peanuts and almonds, so unfortunately, cashews are off-limits for me. I would love to try making this pasta but I’m just not sure what to use in place of the cashews.

You might be able to get away with using soaked almonds? I would try soaking them for 10 hours or so, pop the skins off (Or simply used blanched almonds from the get go) and then blend as usual. Almonds might not get as smooth as cashews though, so that’s something to keep in mind. Let me know how it goes if you try it out!

I know that this comment is not very timely; I’m not even sure if you will ever read it. I have had this recipe in my to-do box for a long time now. Although it is winter time and not the best time to buy tomatoes and basil, I made this last night and it was so good. It tastes like summertime. I was eating the sauce with a spoon. I do not have a blender and did it in the food processor. I’m sure it was not as smooth as was intended, but it was really really delicious. It is a dish I will make again and again.

I am so happy I found your website! I made this recipe yesterday…..SO GOOD! Being a huge garlic fan, I doubled the garlic and added a pinch of red pepper flake. (the only deviation from your recipe). I thinned the sauce down a little with about a 1/4 cup white wine. I will be making this again soon. I have your website bookmarked now. I am now referring to myself as oh HE GLOWS! I also loved your tahini-lemon dressing!!! Thank you so much!!!

I just made this. Easy, rich tasting without making one feel heavy. I used a ready-made spaghetti sauce instead and added the cashew to that. I sauteed the mushrooms and onions and added the sauce to that. Excellent recipe! Thank you.

I made this last night for friends; it was ridiculously easy to make (with my brand new Vitamix!), and it was SO delicious! Plus, my friends could not believe that there was no cream or butter or cheese in the sauce! Oh, and I used your suggestion, mixing lots of julienned squash and zucchini into the warm pasta to make it even healthier. Incidentally, I also got your cookbook this week; I can’t wait to keep trying more of your creations!

This is similar to the recipe you have in your cookbook. It’s has a few more ingredients but that’s ok because it was amazing! This is the best pasta dish to whip up in 20 mins that I have ever had! Even my kids liked it and that’s good news to me. Thank you so much for such a great easy recipe.

I did make a few adjustments however; I sautéed the garlic and pureed it with the rest of the sauce, and instead of leaving the fresh basil whole, I pureed it as well! In addition, I added mushrooms! Absolutely phenomenal!

This is a wonderful sauce. An additional idea: use it on yellow squash pasta for a healthier and oh- so-delicious dish! I found a great little gadget made by Gefu. It looks like a little black hourglass and makes yellow squash into fettuccine – magnifico.
Steam it in a skillet with a little water, then finish it with a little olive oil. Add Angela’s sauce (and you can even cheat and make it with a little canned tomato sauce), top with basil and surround it with halved cherry tomatoes. My guests could not believe it was not pasta. Don’t overdo cooking it or it will not be al dente. Its really fun to make!
Thanks again Angela, for all your great recipes!!!

I have been making this for over a year and I love it! My husband loves it too, and the word “vegan” usually scares him away. It also freezes really well so I usually make a double batch and freeze half of it before I put in the basil.

I love this recipe and make it at least once a fortnight if not more. I started with the exact method described but after having it a few times I’ve adapted it by adding chopped mushrooms after frying the garlic, plus nutritional yeast (just under 1/4 cup) and 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper, plus 1/2 tsp of chipotle when I have it. It’s one of our favorite meals, thanks so much for sharing this recipe! ❤️

Made this for dinner yesterday for the family. Overall it took me an hour or so to finish it up, but mostly just waiting for the pasta to cook (we also made a Caesar salad and garlic bread, which paired great!). The sauce was amazing!! It was a hit for my parents who both Latinos who love their carne asada. Not so much for my older sis who hates tomato tho. But she did enjoy the tuna free tuna salad I made a while back! Will definitely be making this again! Maybe even prep the sauce a day ahead so I could just focus on the pasta! Love your blog, your recipes, and your beautiful life!! Keep the goodness coming :D

Instead of raw cashews I used raw cashew butter. I happen to be on vacation at an airbnb. The place has a blender but it looked like it was from the 80s and I doubted it’s ability to blend the cashews into creaminess. Used 1/3 of a cup, and put it into the blender with the tomatoes. Worked like a charm. Also, I say this as a non-vegan who is lactose intolerant… I splurge and eat cheese every once in awhile so I definitely remember what it’s like, and this gets really close to a real tomato cream sauce. Loved it.

Hey, I think it depends on your taste! My thought is that a red wine might pair nicely with the tomato flavours. This source seems to say medium-bodied red wine pairs well with tomato-based pasta. Let us know if you try anything out!

I just tried this delicious recipe. Made a couple of *minor* adjustments to suit my family. I pureed the basil leaves with the rest of the sauce because anything green, no matter the size, might call attention to how healthy this sauce is–>resulting in one teen’s mutiny. That worked well. Second, we added Cayenne pepper to taste. Thank you for this recipe!!!

This is a real winner. I just made it. I only used half of the salt but it is so yummy I could eat it all and not even tell hubby that I made it. But I won’t. I’ll be making this often. Can’t believe it’s vegan. Thank you for this delicious recipe.